sny

sny · verb¹

1. Old Norse · derived fromsníkja“to crawl, creep”
2. Old Danish · derived from*snigæ
3. Middle English · inherited fromsniȝen
4. English todaysny

Of obscure origin. Likely from late Middle English sniȝen, snyȝen (“to creep”), from Old Danish *snigæ (whence modern Danish snige), from Old Norse sníkja (“to crawl, creep”). If so, doublet of sneak.

sny · verb²

First attested in 1674; its etymology is unknown.

sny · noun³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*sneh₁-“to wind; twist; braid; plait”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*snōwaną
3. English todaysny

First attested in 1711; its etymology is unknown; perhaps from Proto-Germanic *snōwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sneh₁- (“to wind; twist; braid; plait”). Compare snying and the Danish sno (“to twine”, “to twist”).

sny · noun⁴

First attested with this spelling in 1893; see snye.

First known use, by meaning

• 1711 onward An upward curve at the edge of a plank.
• circa 1850 onward An upward curve in the lines of a wooden watercraft from amidships toward its bow and its stern.